Vitamins and Minerals Needed During Pregnancy

Vitamins and other nutrients during pregnancy are important to be fulfilled. This is because the fetus needs adequate nutrition, so it can grow and develop into a healthy baby. To fulfill this, vitamin supplements Pregnant women can be a complement to your diet.

Health experts and doctors agree, eating healthy and varied foods is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals your fetus needs during pregnancy. Even so, your body may still lack the main nutrients needed by the fetus to be able to grow optimally. That is why some supplements and vitamins for pregnant women are needed to fill the gap.

Vitamins and Minerals Needed During Pregnancy - Alodokter

Supplements for pregnant women contain lots of vitamins and minerals, but some of the most important ingredients most needed by pregnant women from pregnancy supplements are folic acid, vitamin D, calcium, and iron.

Folic acid

Adequate folic acid is needed to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), which are defects in the baby's nervous system. NTD usually begins to develop in the first 28 days after conception. At that time, most women were not even aware that they were pregnant. That's why for women who are trying to get a child or undergo a pregnancy program, it is advisable to consume 400-800 micrograms of folic acid every day until the pregnancy reaches the age of 3 months.

You can get natural folic acid from the foods you consume, such as green vegetables, cereals or wheat, beans, and oranges. But folic acid in the form of supplements or tablets is more easily absorbed by the body. For this reason, even though a balanced nutritional pattern has been fulfilled, folic acid supplements are still given to pregnant women to meet these important nutritional needs.

Vitamin D and Calcium

Pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding, it is recommended to consume 10 micrograms of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium every day. Vitamin D and calcium play an important role in the health of bones and teeth. Pregnant women need more vitamin D and calcium during pregnancy to support baby's bone growth.

Vitamin D deficiency makes children vulnerable to abnormal bone growth. Calcium is also very much needed by pregnant women. Calcium consumed by pregnant women will be used by the fetus to form bones. Calcium can be found in foods such as tofu, tempeh, kidney beans, soy milk, milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, sardines, salmon, and beans.

You can also get vitamin D naturally from fish such as salmon and sardines, eggs and meat. Basking in the sun is also the best source of vitamin D for your body.

Iron

Pregnant women need enough iron to form red blood cells, because red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body and also to your baby. Iron deficiency will cause anemia which can make pregnant women feel tired, dizzy, weak, and pale constantly. In addition, iron as a nutritional intake for pregnant women is also very important for fetal growth. Iron deficiency during pregnancy makes the baby's risk of anemia after birth is higher. This condition also increases the risk of babies being born prematurely and born with low weight.

Supplements to add iron can cause side effects such as constipation, diarrhea, and interfere with the absorption of other nutrients the body needs. Try to get iron from natural sources first, such as lean meat, dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, and nuts. But if it's still not enough, doctors can recommend taking iron supplements.

Best Pregnancy Supplements

In general, the supplements you need during pregnancy are recommended to contain the following vitamins and minerals.

400 units of vitamin D.
250 milligrams of calcium
400-800 micrograms of folic acid.
30 milligrams of iron.
2 milligrams of copper.
2 milligrams of vitamin B6.
15 milligrams of zinc.
50 milligrams of vitamin C.
Even so, always remember to first ask each supplement that you drink to your obstetrician. Through proper examination, your doctor will know what vitamins and minerals are most needed by your body and fetus.

Remember that vitamin supplements for pregnant women are complementary and not a substitute for your food. In addition, do not take vitamins in doses that are too high or exceed recommendations, because they can have a bad impact on you and your baby.
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